Rosetta Sculpture - Portfolio

LARGE BRONZES

Charging Panther
Bobcat
Turning Point
Cheetah Sprint
Panther's Pride
Running Cheetah
Panther Alert
Reach for the Sky
Lynx Legacy
The Leap
Heron Fountain/Planter
The Hunt
Seated Cheetahs
On the Alert

Charging Panther

The black Panther is a fitting mascot for a University's athletic team. It is the dark (melanistic) version of the spotted Leopard and its shadowy presence caries an aura of mystery, stealth and power all its own. The Leopard is one of nature’s most successful predators, wrapped up in a package of unparalleled grace and beauty, which makes it an excellent subject for sculpture as well.

“Charging Panther” is my fifth Black Panther mascot sculpture commissioned by Chapman University in Orange, California. This life-sized version now resides in the Athletic Complex lobby and is rolled out onto the field for games. Named "Jamie" after it's donor, it made its debut at the 2011 Homecoming game where it was enthusiastically received as a good-luck icon.

Bobcat

This 1½-life-sized Bobcat was commissioned by the Nebraska Percent for Art program for placement at Peru State College. Based on a photo I took at Animals of Montana, the pose was perfect to represent the PSC Bobcat mascot on campus. It projects the strong though non-threatening characteristics of concentration, flexibility, strength, grace, dignity and beauty. All are characteristics that make the bobcat an ideal mascot for the college. This photo was taken of the Bobcat installed in it’s permanent home in front of the Al Wheeler Activity Center.

Turning Point

This is the third running cheetah in the series commissioned for Dowagiac, Michigan, along with "Running Cheetah" and "Cheetah Sprint". It is the lead cat, executing a tight cheetah turn in front of the other two that are running flat-out straight ahead.

The cheetah is legendary for it’s incredible speed, capable of reaching 70 miles per hour in the heat of the chase, and these three sculptures together depict the three most characteristic elements of that famed running style. The cheetah’s non-retractable claws grip the ground as its legs gather beneath the arched back and then, with amazing speed and strength, the spine stretches out to full length, propelling the cat forward to then gather its legs again and repeat the rhythmic stride, so swift that it can only be fully appreciated with slow motion photography. With its head held perfectly level as if connected to its prey with an invisible thread, this amazing cat can execute lightning fast sharp turns, using its long tail for balance, as depicted in this sculpture.

Cheetah Sprint

"Cheetah Sprint" is the second of three life-sized running cheetahs designed to be darting along a grassy stretch in the city of Dowagiac, Michigan. The first in the series is an enlargement of my existing smaller sculpture, "Running Cheetah". The third, the lead one of the group, depicts this most graceful of big cats in one of those amazing sharp controlled turns that only a cheetah can execute.

The cheetah is legendary for it’s incredible speed, capable of reaching 70 miles per hour in the heat of the chase, and these three sculptures together depict the three most characteristic elements of that famed running style. The cheetah’s non-retractable claws grip the ground as its legs gather beneath the arched back and then, with amazing speed and strength, the spine stretches out to full length (as depicted in this sculpture), propelling the cat forward to then gather its legs again and repeat the rhythmic stride, so swift that it can only be fully appreciated with slow motion photography. With its head held perfectly level as if connected to its prey with an invisible thread, this amazing cat can execute lightning fast sharp turns, using its long tail for balance.

Panther's Pride

Although it is just the melanistic (dark) variety of the spotted Leopard, the black Panther's shadowy presence carries an aura of mystery, stealth and power all it's own. This tender rendition of a mother Panther and her cub shows another side of the mighty hunter: the maternalistic care she lavishes on her young, and the cub’s obvious bonding with his mother, upon whom he will be dependent until adolescence. The mother’s face projects not only her concern for the protection and nurturing of her offspring, to which she is totally committed, but also shows her obvious pride in the cub that she has produced and is successfully raising.

This sculpture was commissioned as the fourth large panther of mine to roam the campus of Chapman University in Orange, CA, and has been added to Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland.

Photo by Nadia Borowski Scott

Running Cheetah

This enlargement of my smaller “Running Cheetah” was unveiled at the grand opening of NuVasive’s new headquarters building in San Diego, CA in 2008. The cheetah is this corporation’s “mascot” and plays a significant part in all of their special functions.

This life-size cheetah is also the first of three different poses of running cheetahs commissioned for the city of Dowagiac, MI to honor the passing of one of its prominent and beloved citizens.

Panther Alert

This over-life-sized Panther was commissioned by Chapman University in Orange, CA to perch on a hill overlooking their new Piazza and fountain courtyard. The third black Panther this size that the University has commissioned from me to pay tribute to their sports mascot, "Panther Alert" joins my original "Panther" and "The Leap" in a sculptural style that ties various parts of the campus together from an artistic perspective as well.

Regal and alert but not threatening, this majestic cat seems to have just spotted activity around the fountain in the center of the Piazza, wondering what all of those people are doing in his territory.

Reach for the Sky

The dance of survival portrayed in this sculpture is an allegory for the struggles we all face in life and how we deal with them.

The creatures involved (cougar and hawk) are each pushing the limits of their strength, their skills and their spirit, to achieve a life-sustaining goal, doing so with a grace and elegance only observed in the purist moments of nature. This is a decisive moment for both of them and they are holding back nothing in their striving. Each has faith that he will be the victor, relying on the unique qualities nature has given him, which are all that he should require for success. Acting on a wing and a prayer, they both reach for the sky.

COMMISSION:
The enlargement of the Cougar and Hawk portion (minus the rocks) of my original, smaller sculpture was commissioned by the Meridian Metropolitan District at Meridian Commons Retail and is situated on rocks on a mound in the round-about in Lioness Way in their new development south of Denver, CO.

It has also been purchased for Curtis Jr. High School in Seattle and Chapman University in Orange, CA

Lynx Legacy

As the Lynx struggles to perpetuate its species, the birth of a kitten is a very special occasion. The survival of that kitten to adulthood is even more of a challenge, and this Lynx mother is determined to meet that challenge. Assuming a protective stance over her young, she’s going to do whatever it takes to insure its survival. The next generation is this Lynx mother’s legacy.

This life-size version of the smaller "Lynx Legacy" was commissioned for The Shops at Walnut Creek shopping center in Westminster, CO.

The Leap

This sculpture is a study in fluid motion. And what better subject than the feline form to provide the shapes and lines that express that concept?

The challenge is to make sure that every shape in the sculpture is pleasing in and of itself while at the same time contributing to the overall flow of the piece, all the while maintaining the integrity of the form of the cat in mid-leap.

The cat in this sculpture is a leopard, a big cat that is as comfortable in a tree as on the ground. This most graceful leap is very characteristic of this most graceful cat.

"The Leap" has been purchased by Seattle Prep and by Chapman University.

Heron Fountain/Planter

Who hasn't seen the graceful Great Blue Heron take flight and stared in awe, wishing the moment could be held onto forever. In this sculpture, a pair of elegant Great Blue Herons rise to flight from the surface of the pond. A truly breathtaking sight, caught in bronze for the perpetual enjoyment of the garden dweller or atrium visitor. And it seems only appropriate that this ubiquitous water dweller be accompanied by a moving water feature, with the graceful motion and pleasant sound of bubbling and flowing water.

This versatile sculpture, designed as a fountain, has also been used by a planter by the City of Loveland, CO and the Carmel City Library in Indiana.

The Hunt

Nothing is more focused and intense than a big cat hunting - unless it's several big cats hunting together. African lions are among the few big cats you'll find doing this - the only felines seen together more often than alone, living in prides (extended families) for the care of the cubs, mutual protection and cooperative hunting.

The silent cooperation among hunting lionesses is amazing to behold, as they single out an animal, split up to maneuver into position and then close in on the prey. They must be efficient, as there are many mouths to feed.

I had wanted to do three lionesses hunting for some time, but it wasn't until my trip to Africa that I solved the challenge of creating a strong, cohesive composition while dealing with a dozen legs! I saw many an animal melt into the tall grass there, using it for cover until they were ready to be seen. The grasses and the camouflage they provide are an important element in the success of the hunt.

This large version of "The Hunt" has been purchased for permanent installation in Benson Park Sculpture Garden in Loveland, CO, Village Green Sculpture Garden in NC and at Widener University in PA.

Seated Cheetahs

The Cheetah is best known for its speed, but an adult seldom runs except while hunting. Unlike the Lion, who can usually be found sleeping all day, the Cheetah often spends his leisure time looking around. Any high spot - a rock or mound of dirt - will do for a vantage point from which a Cheetah may spend hours watching for prey and surveying his surroundings.

The picture of grace and elegance in any pose, the Cheetah depicted here is the personification of dignity and purpose. Struggling in a losing battle against extinction, the Cheetah has no time for frivolity.

The matching pair of these large "Seated Cheetahs" can be seen in the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District's new Terminal building.

On the Alert

Here is our great American lion (Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma), interrupted mid-stride by some slight noise or flash of movement which demands his immediate attention. Ever "on the alert", this magnificent predator doesn't miss much that goes on in his immediate vicinity. It could mean his survival, or at least his next meal.

This large "On The Alert" is proud to grace the grounds of a vineyard in northern California and Union Square park in the city of Lakewood, CO.